On Ballot In Maryland, 'Dream Act' Wins Big On Election Night

At the Casa de Maryland main building in Hyattsville, Maryland immigration advocates gathered on election night to watch the results come for question 4, The Maryland Dream Act and the race for the President.
Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post/Getty Images
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Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post/Getty Images

At the Casa de Maryland main building in Hyattsville, Maryland immigration advocates gathered on election night to watch the results come for question 4, The Maryland Dream Act and the race for the President.

Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The Maryland Dream Act, which allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition, will stand.

With a 58 to 42 split, voters rejected a measure that sought to overturn legislation passed by lawmakers last year.

"The measure is expected to affect about 435 students in each entering class. When it was originally passed in March it was predicted to cost the state $3.5 million by 2016, an analysis by the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research, which anticipates an overall positive economic impact because the students helped by the Dream Act are likely to earn more money and therefore pay more in taxes.

"'This is a wise investment,' said Kristin Ford, communications director for Educating Maryland Kids. 'It's not just good for kids, but it's also good from an economic standpoint.'

"Ford said the key to the campaign was educating voters. Once people understood the measure, she said, they tended to support it, but it was important to emphasize that it wasn't a handout or a special scholarship."

Many credit that move with helping Obama win a huge part of the Hispanic vote. Exit polls showed that the president enjoyed a 40-point lead with Latino voters.

Another notable number from the exit polls: Sixty-five percent of Americans polled said "illegal immigrants working in the United States [should] be offered a chance for legal status." Only 28 percent said they should be deported.

This is an important issue that you'll be hearing about for some time to come, especially as it relates to the future of the GOP.

Another thing to keep in mind: Latinos are the fastest-growing voter group in the country. Yesterday, they made up 10 percent of voters, so for the GOP, it gets harder and harder to win national elections without moderating that Latino gap. The big question then becomes whether Republicans will moderate their views on issues like the Dream Act and immigration.